Re: Mars in two weeks?

From: Eugene.Leitl@lrz.uni-muenchen.de
Date: Sun Jan 07 2001 - 06:03:40 MST


"S.J. Van Sickle" wrote:
 
> How about filling the lungs with saline at about the same density? Either

Unfortunately, the lung tissue will disagree. Strongly. It doesn't disagree with
liquid fluorocarbon as violently, but it's density is twice that of water,
and, as I mentioned, it's suspected to be immunosuppressive. Might make
sense in an emergency situation, but is not something you'd subject a healthy
volunteer to.

> the passenger could be placed in profound hypothermia and so do without
> oxygen (or a heartbeat, for that matter) for 30 or 40 minutes, or have the
> blood oxygenated by a heart/lung machine.

Animals are not mechanical machines. Space travel is already fraught with
dangers and stresses to your system, putting a person in artificial coma
would seem to put you into the "red" zone, as stresses cumulate.

Whatever happened to space travel a la "2001"?



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